


A Few Days

by sparklepox (travelingpsycho)



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-23
Updated: 2014-06-23
Packaged: 2018-02-05 20:41:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,258
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1831561
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/travelingpsycho/pseuds/sparklepox
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Junmyeon finds the Kim brothers, Minseok, Jongdae and Jongin, on his doorstep and agrees to look after them for just a few days.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Few Days

It's after 10 p.m. and Junmyeon is just getting home from work followed by a not-really-optional dinner with his coworkers. His alarm will go off in less than eight hours for him to do it all over again and he really just wants to go to bed right away, which is why he's not happy at all when he approaches his house and sees something on his doorstep. He's not expecting any deliveries, so there shouldn't be anything there, which means whatever it is will probably be a pain to deal with.

He thinks it'll be a misdelivered package or trash or something like that. He most definitely doesn't expect to see, when he gets close enough, three small children shivering in front of his door. Two seem to be asleep, but the third, who can't be more than seven or eight, looks up at him with wide, uncertain eyes.

"What are you doing here?" Junmyeon asks, keeping his voice gentle because the last thing his day needs is crying children blocking his front door.

"Our mom told us to wait here," says the boy. "She should be back by now, but she's late."

Why would a mother have her children wait at his front door? "Are you sure?" he asks. It's an apartment building, so maybe they got the wrong door. "Which number?"

"Right here," the boy tells him. "She showed us right here." His voice is taking on a hint of stubbornness that tells Junmyeon it won't be easy to convince him otherwise.

He really just wants this to go away, but since that seems unlikely, he sighs and says, "Why don't you come and wait inside? It's cold out here. Are these your brothers?"

 

The boy nods. "I don't want to wake them up. Jonginnie was crying before."

"It's okay," Junmyeon says reassuringly. "I can carry him." He reaches over the pile of limbs to unlock his front door. "What's your name?"

"Minseok. Kim Minseok. And this is Jongdae and Jongin is the youngest."

"I'm Kim Junmyeon." He pushes the door open and then bends to pick up the youngest boy, who makes a soft sound but doesn't wake up. He's small, probably five or so, but Junmyeon doesn't spend enough time around young children to judge age well. He sets him down on the couch and goes back to the door, where he finds Minseok and the other boy, Jongdae, now awake.

"Come on inside," he says, but Jongdae frowns at him.

"Mom told us to wait here," he says. "If we go inside, she won't be able to find us." Oh, great, they're all stubborn.

"I'm sure your mom wouldn't want you freezing out here," Junmyeon tells him, doing his best not to sound as impatient as he is. "We can leave a note on the door so she'll know where you are."

That seems to be enough, to Junmyeon's immense relief. The two boys get to their feet and come inside, joining their little brother on the couch. Junmyeon grabs a blanket, and Minseok spreads it over the three of them. Then he tries to figure out what to do. "Do you want something to drink? Or food?"

"The note," Jongdae reminds him.

Junmyeon resists the urge to roll his eyes. "Of course." He gets some paper and writes a quick note, taping it to the door. He doesn't want to say so, but he's already starting to worry that maybe their mom isn't coming back. What kind of responsible mother would make her children wait on a stranger's doorstep on a cool fall night?

Back inside, the two older boys are whispering to each other, but they stop as soon as they see him. "I'll get you a snack, okay?" he says. He doesn't have much in his kitchen, but he finds some crackers and makes tea and takes it out to them. He sits on the floor and the three of them sip their tea while Junmyeon tries to figure out what to say. "How old are you?" he finally asks, since it seems like a safe enough question.

He can't help the way his eyebrows jump up when Minseok says, "Ten." Minseok looks annoyed, but it gets a smile from Jongdae.

"Hyung is small for his age," he says, quite unnecessarily. "People sometimes think I'm older even though I'm only seven. And Jongin is five."

"And your mom lets you wait for her alone?" Junmyeon asks.

The two boys exchange a look he can't read, and then Minseok sits up very straight, as if that'll make him look bigger. "It's fine. I can take care of my brothers."

"I'm sure you can," Junmyeon says, hoping it sounds sincere even though he doesn't believe it. It's been a while since he was ten, but he doesn't think he could have taken care of two young boys back then. He's on his way to being three times that age and he still doesn't know what to do with these three boys on his couch.

They're determined to stay up and wait for their mother, but first Jongdae dozes off again, and then Minseok's eyelids start to flutter closed. He jerks awake three or four times before he gives in, slumping against his sleeping brother. It's almost midnight by then, and Junmyeon, exhausted, finally changes out of his work clothes and goes to bed, leaving the bedroom door open and hoping it'll be okay for one night.

 

He wakes up to his alarm, groggy and hoping that when he gets up, he'll find that the previous night's events were all a dream and there are no children on his couch. There's no sound coming from the other room, but his bedroom door is wide open, which it usually isn't. He reluctantly drags himself out of his warm bed, and unfortunately he's greeted by the sight of three little boys curled up on his couch under a single blanket.

He goes into the kitchen to make some much-needed coffee, trying his best to be quiet so as not to wake the kids, but when he looks out again, there's movement on the couch. Eyes find him, and a little boy's voice says, "Who are you?"

"My name is Junmyeon," he says, quietly so as not to wake the others. "You guys were waiting in front of my door last night, so I let you come inside to sleep where it's warm."

"Where's Mom?" There's a hint of panic in Jongin's voice and Junmyeon is afraid he's going to cry. He doesn't know how to deal with crying children.

"I'm sure she'll be here soon," he lies.

"I want her now!" Jongin insists, getting choked up.

"It's okay," Junmyeon continues in the most soothing voice he can manage at 6 a.m. before he's even had a chance to drink his coffee. "She'll be here soon, and until then I'm here and your big brothers are here and they'll look after you."

"I don't want you. I want Mom!" And that's it; he bursts into tears.

Junmyeon feels kind of panicked himself, because how do you comfort a kid you only met a minute ago, so he's very glad when Minseok and Jongdae wake up at the noise. They look confused, but then recognition dawns on Minseok's face and he jumps into action, pulling his youngest brother into a hug. "Shh, Jonginnie, it's okay. I'm here. We're safe here."

"But I want Mom," Jongin sobs. It breaks Junmyeon's heart, not knowing if he'll ever see his mother again.

"I know," Minseok murmurs, patting his hair. "But she'll be back, and until then, I'll take care of you. Don't cry."

Jongdae, fully awake now, comes around to Jongin's other side and rubs his back. "Don't be scared," he says, sounding too mature and serious for a seven year old. "It's okay."

It takes another minute or two of that, which feels like a lot longer, but finally Jongin stops crying. He keeps his face buried in Minseok's shoulder, not looking at Junmyeon. "I'm sorry," Minseok says, still rubbing his back comfortingly.

"It's okay," Junmyeon assures him. It's not, really, but that's not his fault and Junmyeon is the adult here, so he'll have to put up with it.

Then, too soon, comes the question he's been dreading, from Jongdae. "Mom didn't come?"

"Not during the night," Junmyeon says.

"Did you check?" Jongdae demands. "Maybe she left a note." He jumps up and hurries to the door, Junmyeon reluctantly following. His own note is still on the door, but nothing else, and he hates the way Jongdae's face falls when he sees.

"Come back inside," he says gently, and Jongdae does, dragging his feet. "I'll call the police later. They should be able to find your mom."

"But why isn't she here? She said she would come back." Jongdae is pouting, but Minseok has his lips pressed tightly together and Junmyeon thinks he already knows that their mother's not likely to be back any time soon.

"Maybe she can't. So we'll have the police look, and if she needs help, they can help her. Okay?"

Jongdae keeps pouting, but he seems to accept that. It's Minseok who speaks up next. "What about us?" he asks, sounding more his age now, young and a little scared. "Will the police take us away? Will they separate us?"

Jongin looks up at his big brother and Junmyeon is afraid he'll start crying again, so he quickly says, "It'll be okay. They'll help you. Don't worry." They're empty words, but he has nothing else to offer; Minseok's probably right.

It's becoming very clear that this situation isn't going to resolve itself in the hour and fifteen minutes left before Junmyeon has to go to work. He weighs his options, but leaving the kids with someone would mean explaining why he has three strange children in his apartment, and he has a feeling they'd refuse to leave anyway, just in case their mother might still come. Besides, he should really call the police as soon as possible so he doesn't get accused of kidnapping.

After ten minutes of waffling while the boys get up and go to the bathroom, he decides that there's no choice but to call into work. It's something he never does unless he's almost at death's door, but thankfully that means that his boss doesn't give him too much trouble for it.

Then he makes breakfast (five eggs for the four of them and nothing else because he really needs to go shopping) and takes a quick shower. Minseok produces a change of clothes for himself and his brothers out of a backpack Junmyeon didn't notice him carrying the night before, making them all more-or-less presentable. "Can you call the police now?" he asks, as soon as they're dressed.

It's still only 7:00 a.m., but he calls. The woman he talks to sounds skeptical of his story of three children turning up on his doorstep, but she agrees to send someone to him as soon as possible.

As soon as possible turns out to mean after three and a half hours of TV and trying to keep Jongin from crying again. All three boys look exhausted, and Jongdae dozes off several times, but at least they're mostly quiet.

When the doorbell rings, all three boys jump to their feet, and it takes Junmyeon a moment to realize that they're all expecting it to be, or at least hoping that it is their mother. It's not, though, and he sees their faces fall at the sight of the two police officers.

They talk to Junmyeon first, getting his story about finding these kids he's never met before waiting on his doorstep when he got home from work. He tries not to be offended when they ask if anyone can vouch for his whereabouts the night before, just in case, and he gives them his boss' number. Then they turn their attention to the boys.

Junmyeon sits and listens as they ask their names and ages and their mother's name. When they ask about a father, Minseok frowns and says, "It's just us and our mom." He answers most of the questions, with Jongdae occasionally jumping in to add or clarify something, explaining that they were with their mom yesterday and she asked them to wait here while she went to take care of some things. "I don't know why she said here, this building or this apartment."

"Did you use to live here?" one of the police officers asks.

"Nearby," Minseok says. "But we moved."

"Where to?"

Minseok really doesn't want to say it so the police have to pry it out of him, but finally he admits that they didn't have a place of their own anymore, staying with various friends for a month or so and then on the streets for the last week. He looks very uncomfortable, like he's confessing to doing something bad, and Junmyeon pats him on the knee without thinking about it. Minseok starts at the touch, but then he smiles the tiniest bit.

The police ask a lot of questions, but none of the brothers seem to have any idea of where their mother would go. They don't know the names or addresses of any friends they stayed with, and when they ask about a job, Minseok says, "I don't know. She never talked to us about work." Junmyeon thinks there's something he's not saying again, but this time the police don't push.

Then they ask about relatives they could stay with and Junmyeon hopes there'll be someone, but Minseok says, "I don't know any. I think Mom's parents are dead."

"Then we'll find a family or families that you can stay with for now," says one of the police officers.

Jongin has been quiet the whole time, but that gets a reaction from him. "Together," he says, clinging to Minseok's arm. "We have to be together."

"Please." Minseok's voice is calmer, but his eyes are as scared as Jongin's.

The police officers try not to frown and glance over at Junmyeon. Then all three boys look at him too and he finds himself saying, "If it's allowed, they can stay with me for a few days while you figure something out."

The boys faces light up, and Junmyeon thinks, _What the hell am I doing?_ He doesn't have the space, the time, or the knowledge to take care of three children, especially three children who clearly have some issues. He likes kids well enough, but occasionally watching his niece and nephew or playing with his friends' kids is very different from having some around all the time.

But it's too late to take it back, so that's how he finds himself watching the police car drive away with three boys still sitting on his couch and a million things to think about. At least it's Friday so he doesn't have to worry about work for the next two days, but if they stay any longer, he'll have to figure out what they can do during the day. They should all be in school, but the police waved off his questions about that saying they'd look into it, so he may need to ask someone to watch them on Monday, which should be an interesting conversation.

For now, he needs to go buy food and probably do laundry, because if they've been on the street for a week, who knows how clean the clothes in their bag are? And they probably need toothbrushes, and maybe some more clothes since now that he's awake enough to pay attention, he can see that what they're wearing is pretty ragged, and there can't be that much more in Minseok's small backpack. At least his job pays well enough that it won't be a hardship, but he doesn't know where to begin with shopping for young boys.

Still, in spite of everything, when Jongdae grabs his hand and says an enthusiastic, "Thank you!" that's echoed by his brothers, Junmyeon can't really regret his decision.

 

They go to the mall (after adding another note with Junmyeon's cell number to the door, just in case), partly to buy needed things and partly to give them something to do for the day. Junmyeon has never gone anywhere alone with a kid, let alone three, so he's worried that they'll get lost or kidnapped or fall to their deaths, but they're well behaved, sticking close to each other and to him, and Minseok holds tightly to Jongin's hand when he starts trying to run off to look at toys.

The older two seem unsure about letting Junmyeon buy things for them, but he insists it's okay, and in the end they leave with a small selection of clothes and a few toys, plus blankets and pillows to supplement the few extras in his apartment. _You're only watching them for a few days,_ he reminds himself. _No need to go overboard._ But they look so happy, especially Jongin clutching the toy robot he chose, that Junmyeon can't help himself. He has a feeling they've had to do without a lot over the years.

Back in his apartment, the kids claim the couch to sort out their purchases, and Junmyeon is thinking about dinner plans when his phone rings. "Hyung, are you dead?" Baekhyun asks when he picks up. "I heard you called in sick, and you didn't even do that last year when you had a fever and could barely stand up."

"I'm not dead," he says. He notices that the boys have gotten quiet, probably listening, so he lowers his voice. "Something just came up and I needed to be at home today."

"Does that mean you're not coming out tonight either? Come on, you're always so busy."

"I really can't," Junmyeon tells him. "Another time."

"But we miss you," Baekhyun whines. "How about if we come over there? We can bring drinks so all you have to do is put on pants."

"I'm wearing pants," Junmyeon mutters, then hopes the children didn't hear that. "I'm sorry. I just can't tonight."

"What's so important that you can't see your friends?" Baekhyun presses. "You're being all secretive."

It's not that he wants to keep it a secret, exactly, but he thinks saying, "I'm taking care of three kids" will just bring a whole bunch of new questions that he doesn't want to answer. He knows what he's doing is crazy; he doesn't need anyone else to tell him. "It's complicated," he says.

"What, did you meet some hot girl and you have to spend the whole weekend in bed with her?"

"I got home from work at ten last night," Junmyeon tells him. "Where would I meet someone?"

"If you just told me what was going on," Baekhyun says, "I wouldn't have to guess."

"I've got some kids staying over for a few days," Junmyeon finally says, hoping but not expecting that that will shut Baekhyun up.

"Some kids?" Baekhyun sounds surprised, and why wouldn't he? "Whose kids?"

"Well...I don't know."

There's a few beats of silence on the line. "You don't know?!"

"They were outside my door last night, and...I'll tell you later." He doesn't want to explain when they can hear.

"Oh, are they there?" Baekhyun asks. "Look...did you have dinner yet? I'm going to come over and bring you dinner."

"Wait, Baekhyun..." Junmyeon says, because he doesn't need his friends freaking the boys out, but it's too late already.

"We'll be good, I promise. I'm good with kids. See you in an hour or so." And then he hangs out without giving Junmyeon a chance to object.

He goes back out in the living room to three questioning faces. "Who was that?" Jongdae asks. Minseok elbows him and Jongdae glares at him for a few seconds before turning back to Junmyeon for an answer.

"Just a friend," he says. "A few of my friends are going to come bring us dinner. They're kind of loud, but they're nice. Is that okay?" _I hope it is because I can't stop them._

The three exchange glances and then Minseok nods. Then after a moment, he hesitantly asks, "Are we in your way? You don't have to let us stay here..."

Jongin doesn't get it right away, but Jongdae tenses and looks up at Junmyeon with pleading eyes. How is he supposed to say no?

"It's fine," he insists. "Don't worry about it."

Minseok doesn't look entirely convinced, but he doesn't say anything else, and Jongdae beams at him. _It's just a few days,_ Junmyeon reminds himself. He can manage for a few days.

Just over an hour after his phone call, Baekhyun shows up with Chanyeol and Kyungsoo in tow, along with an awful lot of takeout food. "I realized I forgot to ask how many kids or how old," he explains as they dump everything in the kitchen. "I hope this is enough."

Junmyeon doesn't know how much ten-, seven- and five-year old boys eat, but he's pretty sure this is enough food to feed an army or two. At least he probably won't have to worry about lunch tomorrow. "That should be plenty," he says. "Thanks for bringing it." _Not that you gave me much choice._ "Now come on, I'll introduce you."

The brothers are on their feet, waiting, and they look to Junmyeon for help. "This is Minseok, Jongdae and Jongin," he says, gesturing at each one in turn. He's doesn't know what to say beyond that, so he turns to his friends, who introduce themselves.

"You're so cute!" Chanyeol declares, a little too enthusiastically; Jongin moves to partly hide behind his brothers. "How old are you?"

"Ten," Minseok answers in a small voice. "And seven and five."

"Ten, really?" Baekhyun asks. Junmyeon winces, but this time Minseok doesn't react. "Are you brothers? You don't look much alike."

This time both Minseok and Jongdae react, though Junmyeon doesn't know what to read into their expressions. "Yes," Jongdae answers a little sharply. "We're brothers."

"Are you guys hungry?" Junmyeon asks, eager to change the subject before things get more awkward. "Why don't we eat?"

There's no room in the kitchen for seven people, and there barely even is in the living room, but they squeeze in with plates full of food. Baekhyun and Chanyeol manage to win the boys over quickly enough, and while they're showing off their new toys, Kyungsoo turns to Junmyeon. "So what's the deal?" he asks quietly. "Baekhyun said you told him they were just outside your door?"

Junmyeon nods. "I came home from work and there they were. Their mom told them to wait for her there and then didn't come back. I have no idea why she left them in front of my apartment of all places or where she went."

"And you got stuck taking care of them? Shouldn't the police do something about it?"

"Well..." He glances over to make sure that no one else is listening. "I called the police and they came by this morning and said they'd find a place for the boys to stay, but they weren't sure they'd be able to stay together, and...I don't know."

"You agreed to take them because you're a total pushover?" Kyungsoo offers dryly.

"You would've said yes too, if you saw how pathetic they looked," Junmyeon grumbles. "It's just for a few days while they figure something out. Maybe they'll even find their mom and they can go home." Not that they have a home to go back to, it seems; he frowns at the thought.

"What do you even know about taking care of kids?" Kyungsoo asks.

"Nothing. But they're not babies, and they're good kids. Minseok, the oldest, I think he's pretty used to taking care of his brothers. I'm guessing their mom was kind of..." He doesn't finish the thought, but Kyungsoo can figure it out.

"But they're kids, still. And they've probably got all kinds of issues if they've got a mother who'd abandon her kids in front of a stranger's apartment. Plus you work all the time."

"I know, I know. But it's only for a few days." He's said or thought that so many times lately it's starting to sound like he needs to convince himself. But why wouldn't it be just a few days?

Kyungsoo gives him that look, the one that means he disapproves of something Junmyeon's doing but also knows that it's a waste of breath to try to talk him out of it. Junmyeon may be a pushover as far as doing what people ask of him (and a lot even without them asking), but he's a very stubborn pushover. "Just be careful," he says when he's satisfied his look has made its point. "Don't get too involved. They're not your problem just because they ended up on your doorstep."

"I know," Junmyeon says, and he almost believes it.

 

His friends stay until Jongin falls asleep on Chanyeol's lap (having gotten over being scared of him quickly enough). Chanyeol seems charmed by the little boy and might not mind letting him sleep there for a while, but Junmyeon pointedly says that it's probably time to go to bed, and when the hint doesn't work, Kyungsoo glares at Chanyeol until he gives in.

They head off with offers to help if he needs anything over the weekend and one last pointed look from Kyungsoo, and then Junmyeon is left alone with the boys. It doesn't seem right to have all three of them sleep on the couch again, and he doesn't want to rearrange the room right now to make space on the floor, so instead he puts them in his bed (hoping none of them wets the bed, and man, when did that become something he had to worry about?)

Jongin wakes up long enough to put on pyjamas and then passes out again, and Jongdae lies down next to him and soon falls asleep too, but Minseok stays sitting in bed, watching the younger boys along with Junmyeon. "Your friends are nice," he says in a soft voice so as not to wake the others. "They didn't look at us like we're pathetic."

"Do people do that?" Junmyeon asks, surprised even though he probably shouldn't be.

Minseok looks at him for a second but quickly drops his gaze back to his brothers. "Yeah," he says shortly. "Like, 'Oh, you poor things.' We're not poor things."

Junmyeon nods, but he doesn't really get it. He does feel sorry for them, and for good reason, he thinks. Then he remembers something from earlier and asks, a little hesitantly, "What Baekhyun said, about you not looking alike... You and Jongdae looked pretty mad."

"Not mad," Minseok says. "Just...we are. Brothers, I mean. But we all have different fathers."

"Oh." Maybe he should've guessed that, since it's true that they don't look much alike, but with everything else on his mind, he hadn't thought about it.

"Kim comes from my dad," Minseok explains. "He died when I was little. In a car accident, my mom says. Jongdae's dad, he...wasn't a very nice guy." He reaches out and strokes Jongdae's hair a little, and Junmyeon's heart aches for both of him. "So we left him. And Jongin's dad...I don't know, actually. I never met him. I think he was married, so he didn't want anything to do with us."

It's strange to hear a ten year old talk so casually about such things. "So that's why it's just you and your mom?" he asks.

"Yeah." Minseok frowns. "She's not...I don't want you to think she's a bad mom. She tries. But it's hard, you know?"

Junmyeon nods again without meaning it. He can't accept that someone who would abandon her children in front of a stranger's door is a good mother. Then, hesitantly, he asks, "Minseok, do you know where she went?" He shakes his head, so Junmyeon has to ask his second, more difficult question. "Do you...do you think she's coming back?"

He can see the doubt in Minseok's expression, but he says, "She will. I know she will."

Junmyeon's doesn't really believe it either, but he still says, "I'm sure she will."

 

They all sleep in on Saturday. Junmyeon usually sets an alarm so he doesn't sleep in too late and mess up his sleep schedule, but instead he wakes up disoriented to the sound of something falling in the kitchen. First, he has no idea where he is, and then once he remembers, he jumps up and runs to the kitchen.

Thankfully, Jongin has only managed to knock over a box of cereal, and none of it has even spilled. Junmyeon takes a deep breath to calm his racing heart. "Are you okay?" he asks. "You could have woken me up if you were hungry."

"I can eat cereal by myself," Jongin says sulkily.

"I'm sure you can," Junmyeon says, picking up the box, "but my apartment is set up for big, tall people like me." (He imagines how much Chanyeol would laugh at that if he were here.) "So if you can't reach something, you'll have to ask.

He has to run to the grocery store because he's out of milk and just about everything else (hoping the kids won't get hurt or destroy his apartment in the short time he's gone), and when he gets back all three of them are awake. He gets them and himself fed and bathed and dressed in clean clothes and he's feeling pretty good about his ability to take care of children, all things considered.

That lasts most of the day, but then in the evening, as Junmyeon is trying to throw something together for dinner with his limited cooking ability, he hears Jongin asks, "When is Mom coming? I want to go home."

"Don't you remember we talked about this?" Minseok tells him. "We can't go home for a while."

"What about when Mom comes back?" Even without seeing him, Junmyeon can hear the pout in Jongin's voice.

"Even when Mom comes back," Minseok says. He sounds a little impatient, frustrated. "We'll go home as soon as we can, so until then you have to be a big boy and not complain."

"But I want to go home. And I want Mom. I don't like it here." Jongin sounds dangerously close to crying, and Junmyeon reluctantly turns the stove off to go check on him.

Minseok and Jongin don't look up, but Jongdae flashes him a pleading look as Minseok says, "Shh, don't say that. Do you want to go somewhere else where we'll have to be split up?"

That's the wrong thing to say; tears immediately well up in Jongin's eyes. "Why do we have to be split up?" he asks, voice wavering. "Why isn't Mom here?"

"I don't know!" Minseok snaps, surprising both his brothers and Junmyeon. "She didn't tell me anything. I want her here too, but I can't do anything about it."

Jongin bursts into tears at that, and Minseok sighs and wraps him in a hug. "I'm sorry," he says, far more world weary than a ten year old has any business being. "I just...I'm sorry, Jonginnie. Please don't cry."

Jongdae shoots Junmyeon a reproachful look like this is somehow his fault, but he doesn't know what he's supposed to do. He goes over and kneels beside the couch, putting a hand on Jongin's back. "Hey," he says gently. "I know you miss your mom, and I'm sorry she's not here, but I'm sure she'll come back as soon as she can. Right now, you have your brothers and you have me, so don't cry."

"But Jongdae-hyung says you don't want us here," Jongin gets out in between sobs.

"What?" Junmyeon shoots Jongdae a questioning look, but he's looking away.

"He says you want to get rid of us," Jongin continues.

"Don't be silly. I don't want to get rid of you. But the police will find someone who can take care of you better than me and you can go stay with them. Won't that be better?"

Jongin lifts his head to look at Junmyeon, eyes still brimming with tears. "But I like you," he says, and even if he is just a fickle five year old, it makes Junmyeon feel good.

"Didn't you just say you don't like it here?" Jongdae mutters, but Jongin ignores him.

"I like you," he repeats. "Why can't we stay here until Mom gets back?"

Minseok shushes him. "Don't say that. Junmyeon-shi has already helped us a lot. We don't want to bother him. You'll have me and Jongdae wherever we go, so you'll be okay."

Thankfully, Jongin is only five, so is attention span isn't long, and he stops crying soon after that, allowing Junmyeon to finish making dinner. He can't help thinking about the conversation, though. He thinks of Jongin's tearful face as he asked why they couldn't stay, and Jongdae thinking he wants to get rid of them, and Minseok trying to be tough when he's obviously upset too. He wishes Kyungsoo was here to tell him he's being an idiot as he starts wondering if it would be possible, somehow, for him to keep them.

 

In the evening, he asks Minseok to take Jongin to bed, leaving him alone with Jongdae. Before he can say anything, the boy says, "Don't be mad at me."

"Mad?" Junmyeon repeats.

"Because of what I told Jongin," he explains. "I didn't mean to make him cry."

"It's not your fault," Junmyeon assures him. "But why do you think I don't want you here?"

"Am I wrong?" Jongdae asks bluntly.

"It's not that. I mean, it's not anything to do with you. But I don't have space for kids here and I work long hours. You'll be much happier with someone else."

"We're small, and we can take care of ourselves. We did when Mom had to work." Jongdae looks equal parts defiant and pitiful. Junmyeon wants to hug him, but he doesn't think that's the right choice now.

"I can't," he says with difficulty. "I'm happy to have you here for a few days, but then it's best for you to go somewhere else, if your mom isn't back. I'm sure there'll be some nice people willing to take you in."

Jongdae is frowning, but he says, "Okay." Then he's quiet for a long time, but he looks like he still wants to say something, so Junmyeon waits. Finally, it comes: "Mom's not coming back, is she?"

"You don't know that," Junmyeon says with a lot more conviction than he actually has.

"Maybe someday," Jongdae says. "But she left us here on purpose. She wasn't planning to come right back."

"I don't know," Junmyeon says. "I don't know your mom."

"But you think so," Jongdae accuses. "Minseok-hyung does too, even if he doesn't want to say it."

Junmyeon sighs. "It does seem like that," he says. "But you never know."

The fight goes out of Jongdae, just like that, and he seems to droop against the couch cushions. "She looked so tired. Hyung and I were worried. But I never thought..." He picks up one of the smaller pillows and hugs it to to his chest. "What if they can't find somewhere for all three of us? I don't want to be alone."

"I'm sure they'll find someone who can take you," Junmyeon reassures him, but Jongdae eyes him skeptically.

"Do you really think so?" he asks.

Junmyeon frowns. "Has anyone ever told you you're too smart for your own good?" Jongdae smiles, but it's a grim one. "I don't know," he admits. "I don't know anything about how these things work. But I do know that whatever happens, you'll be okay. You're tough."

Jongdae doesn't look comforted. "I'll be okay," he agrees, "but I'm tired of being tough."

If there's a right thing to say to words like that out of a seven year old's mouth, Junmyeon doesn't know what it is.

 

On Sunday, Junmyeon is shaken awake by small hands. "What is it?" he asks as he struggles to open his eyes. "What's wrong?"

"I'm hungry," says Jongin. "You said to wake you up." Junmyeon rubs his eyes and looks at the clock on the wall. It's 6:30 in the morning. "Is it okay?" Jongin asks, face falling. "Are you mad?"

These kids, always thinking he's mad at them; it makes him wonder who got mad at them so often. "I'm not mad," he says quickly, forcing himself to sit up. "What do you want to eat?"

They eat cereal, accompanied by Jongin's toy robot. He chomps away happily, earlier worries forgotten, and when he's finished, Junmyeon lets him go watch cartoons. Minseok and Jongdae emerge from the bedroom about an hour later, eating their own bowls of cereal before joining Jongin and Junmyeon on the couch. It's a little squished with four of them so Junmyeon ends up with Jongdae leaning over onto his chest, but he doesn't really mind.

He figures it's a bad idea to keep kids indoors all day, so when it gets to a more reasonable hour of the morning, they go to the park near Junmyeon's apartment. He's never paid much attention to the jungle gym there, but the boys are excited, chasing each other all over it while Junmyeon watches nervously. He wants to tell them to be more careful, but they look so happy that he can't bring himself to interrupt.

In the afternoon, Junmyeon decides he's put it off long enough and calls the number the police gave him, which connects him to a social worker's office. He has to explain the situation to three different people, but finally he's connected to a woman who knows what's going on. "As you can imagine, it's proving difficult to find anyone who can take all three of them together," she says, and he can hear the frown in her voice. "I suppose it's impossible for you to keep them any longer?"

_Yes._ He has to go back to work tomorrow, so he'd have to find someone to watch the kids all day, and his back can only handle so many days of sleeping on the couch. It's been fun, in spite of everything, but he has a life to get back to and there's no room for children in it, not yet. "It would be difficult," he says, "but I might be able to manage. How much longer do you think it'll take?"

"I couldn't tell you," the woman says, "but if we don't find someone in the next few days, we'll probably have to place them separately. Maybe the youngest can stay with one of his brothers, but three is too much..."

He thinks about Jongdae saying he's tired of being tough, and about the fear in Minseok's eyes when they asked the police to stay together. How can he let one of them be separated from his brothers? "I can manage a few more days," he says. It's a terrible idea, but he just can't find it in himself to say no.

He closed himself in the bedroom for the call, leaving the boys in front of the TV, but they still all look at him expectantly when he comes out. "I talked to a social worker," he says. "They still haven't found someone who can take all three of you, so you're going to stay with me for a few more days while they continue looking." He doesn't tell them the rest, that if no one can be found after a few days they'll be split up, but judging by the worry on the older boys' faces, they know. Even Jongin moves to cling to Minseok again.

"Don't worry," Junmyeon says brightly, pasting a smile on his face. "I'm sure they'll find someone."

"Sure," Minseok agrees without conviction. Then, "Don't you have to work tomorrow?"

"Yes, but I'll find someone to keep an eye on you guys."

"You don't have to," Minseok says. "We're okay alone."

"I don't think the social worker would like that very much," Junmyeon tells him. It would make his life easier, but it sounds like these boys have already done more than enough taking care of themselves.

He doesn't really want to ask for help, because it's one thing to take on responsibility for himself and another to expect his family or friends to get involved, but there's nothing to be done about it now. He calls his brother's house, and his wife answers the phone. "Hi, noona," he says, and she offers to get his brother, but he continues, "Actually, I wanted to talk to you."

"Oh?" Junmyeon gets along well enough with his sister-in-law, but he doesn't make a habit of calling her.

"I want to ask a favor of you," he starts, "and if you can't do it, it's really okay, but I don't know who to go to so—"

"Just ask," she cuts in, laughing.

So he tells her the story, as briefly as he can, ending with how he stupidly agreed to keep the boys for a few more days. "I can't take another day off of work, so I need someone to look after them during the day. Is there any chance you could do that? I could drop them off over there on my way to work." He feels guilty, because she's got a four year old and a two year old of her own already, but it's only for a few days. "They're really good kids. They won't bother you."

"Let me get this straight," she says when he finishes. "A couple of abandoned kids turned up on your doorstep and you let them stay with you, just like that?"

"What was I supposed to do?" he asks, a little sheepish. "Send them away?"

"Oh, Junmyeon. I think it's sweet," she says, "but not everyone and everything is your responsibility."

She's probably right, as his family and friends usually are when they tell him he takes too much on himself, but if he had to do it again, he'd still make the same decision. "I know," he says. "Can you take them? It'll just be a few days."

"Okay." He breathes a sigh of relief at her agreement. "Just let me know when you're bringing them over."

 

On Monday, far too early in the morning, Junmyeon and the three boys shower and dress and get their things together, and then he drives them over to his brother's house. His brother is about to go to work, and he politely greets the kids, but he shoots Junmyeon his best "You're an idiot" look over their heads before he leaves.

His sister-in-law is better, saying an enthusiastic hello and asking the boys their names and ages. She's better at this than Junmyeon; she doesn't bat an eye when Minseok tells her he's ten, even though he looks especially young in a too-big jacket from the back of Junmyeon's closet. He thanks her profusely, promising to come pick them up as early as possible, and then heads off to work.

It's strange, going back to his job like nothing has happened, like he didn't spend the last three and a half days playing at being a dad. His coworkers ask how he's feeling, making jokes about how shocking it was for him to actually take a day off, and he laughs, but on the inside he's wondering how the boys are, if Jongin is getting along with his nephew and if Minseok's trying to help out and if Jongdae's gotten comfortable enough to be sarcastic yet. It's strange, how he only met these boys a few days ago and he already feels so protective of them, so worried about their well-being.

He calls at lunchtime, and his sister-in-law laughs and says, "They're fine. Minseok is fussing over Jiyun like a little dad and Minkyu is very excited about Jongin and that robot toy you got him. Nothing at all to worry about."

So he tries his best not to, but he still can't help thinking about them, and when the end of the work day comes, he makes excuses not to stay late and hurries to pick up the kids. His nephew Minkyu opens the door, but then Jongin barrels past him to give Junmyeon a hug. He laughs and pats the boy's head, but he likes the way it feels.

His sister-in-law insists he stay for dinner, which is a little too loud after a long day at work, but fun. It makes him happy, seeing all the children smiling, but it also makes him a little sad. Only a few more days and he'll be back to his usual solitary life, which suddenly seems very lonely by comparison.

On the way home, Jongin chatters excitedly about his day while Jongdae rolls his eyes and Minseok watches him with an unconscious little smile on his face. Junmyeon can't help smiling too. He looks like a normal kid, not the scared little boy Junmyeon first met. Happiness suits him.

Later that night, he asks Minseok and Jongdae how their day was. "It was good," Minseok says. "Fun. Your family is nice."

Jongdae's smile twists into something a little sadder and he says, "I guess that's what a normal mom is like, huh?"

This time Junmyeon doesn't resist the impulse to hug him, and Jongdae makes a little dismissive sound that says, "I'm a big boy and I don't need your hugs," but he leans into it all the same.

 

Tuesday and Wednesday pass similarly, and Junmyeon is wondering if he's going to have to call the social worker again when his phone rings late Wednesday afternoon. He excuses himself to answer and finds himself talking to the same social worker as before. "Unfortunately," she starts, and his heart sinks, "we haven't been able to locate the boys' mother or any relatives, and we also haven't been able to find someone able to take on the three of them at the moment. We did find a lovely young couple who can foster the two younger boys, and another family for the oldest."

It's better than nothing, but he knows it won't be enough for them. They've been through too much together to be separated now, but it seems to be the only way. Except... "I guess," he finds himself saying, ignoring all logic and reason, "me keeping them isn't an option?"

Part of him wants her to say an unequivocal no, to take the decision out of his hands. But there's another part of him that can't help being excited when she says, "It's not impossible, if you feel you can handle it and we're satisfied that you can provide a good home for them, and of course if the boys want to stay with you. Is that something you'd be interested in pursuing?"

It's a terrible idea. He's not ready and he's too busy and he doesn't know anything about raising children. He doesn't have the space or the time or the knowledge to allow him to help these boys. All he has is the will, the desire to help them stay together like they want to, and a fondness for the boys that has grown very strong very quickly. That's not enough.

"Yes," he says. "I'd like to try."

 

 

The weekend after the adoption is finalized, Junmyeon's friends throw him a party. "It's like a birthday party," Chanyeol explains, "for your new family."

"And to make us feel better about how we never see you anymore," Kyungsoo adds, deadpan. Then Jongdae sneaks up behind him and pokes him in the side the way he's found will make Kyungsoo yelp, making everyone burst out laughing. Kyungsoo tries to glare, but he can't quite keep a tolerant smile off his face.

Junmyeon's brother and his family come too, and some of the boys' friends from school, and Junmyeon's glad he has a bigger apartment now because it's packed enough as it is. They eat too much fried chicken and cake and laugh a lot and Junmyeon smiles so much his cheeks hurt.

He has to practically kick his friends out the door at the end, but finally the apartment is quiet again, just him and the three boys like usual. They look tired but happy, just the way Junmyeon feels. "That was fun, wasn't it?" he says, and they all nod their agreement.

The boys exchange a few glances and Jongdae shoves Minseok forward a little. The oldest bites his lip nervously before looking up at Junmyeon. "We, um, we just wanted to tell you thank you. Very much. You've done so much for us and you didn't have to at all and without you, we..." He doesn't finish, but he does put an arm around Jongin, and Jongdae moves closer to his other side. "So thank you. I'm really glad it was your doorstep Mom left us on that night."

"Me too," Junmyeon tells them. He can only imagine what his life would be like now if she hadn't. It hasn't been easy and he has no doubt that many more challenges await, but with the three brothers smiling at him like this, he can't regret it for a second. "Me too."


End file.
